Portable folding gym



Oct. 14, 1969 Filed Sept. 20, 1967 R. G. FLYNN 3,472,509

PORTABLE FOLD ING GYM 2 Sheets-Sheet l m/ VENTOR ROBER TA 6.- F L Y/VNBWMMM/ .4 TORNEYS Oct. 14, 1969 R. ca. FLYNN 3,472,509

PORTABLE FOLDING GYM Filed Sept. 20, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORROBERTA G. F L YNN A T TO RNEYS United States Patent "ice 3,472,509PORTABLE FOLDING GYM Roberta G. Flynn, 179 Avon Court, Northfield, II].60093 Filed Sept. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 669,143 Int. Cl. A631: 9/00, 17/00U.S. Cl. 272-60 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An objective of thisinvention is to provide a folding gym-like apparatus which is easilystored in a compact, packageable, flat form and is quickly assembled andrigidified by an adult without the use of tools or the exercise of anyunusual manual dexterity or skill, yet which cannot be disassembledeasily by children.

An additional objective of this invention is to provide a portable playunit having a climbing ladder, a swinging bar, a perch seat, climbingholes and crawl-through spaces, while maintaining economy ofmanufacture.

A still further objective of this invention is to provide a locking andbracing means for a knock-down gym set wherein the stresses and weightforces administered by children utilizing the invention will tend toincrease the stability of the unit.

Heretofore, climbing units for children have been primarily of therelatively expensive outdoor type and for maximum enjoyment oftentimesrequired a permanent emplacement. As a result, gym and climbing sets,although popular with children, have been limited to relatively hard toassemble and disassemble metal frame apparatus. A primary objective ofthis invention is to provide a gym unit for ready and repeated assemblyand disassembly without wear to parts and which, when disassembled, iseasily stored in a closet of the average home. The apparatus of thisinvention then is uniquely suited for use in apartments, homes andclassrooms where childrens play space is limited and/ or permanentinstallation of a gym is undesirable and/or the gym will be used indifferent places indoors and outdoors. The instant invention satisfiesthis need in the art.

A further objective of the invention is to provide an extremely portablegym set which, when disassembled, is comprised of individual elementseach of which is easily handled by an adult. Further, the individualelements are sized to fit in the trunk of automobiles of standarddesign.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent tothose skilled in the art by reference to the following detaileddescription when viewed in light of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the assembled apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a side view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of FIGURE 2 with the top seat removed;

FIGURE 4 is a view showing the slot pattern of the bottom side of theseat portion of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom view of a brace member; and

FIGURE 6 is the fold position of one assembly.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements indicate like parts,the numeral 10 indicates the gym set of this invention. The principalsupporting elements are a pair of folding side assemblies 12 and 14.These assemblies 3,472,509 Patented Oct. 14, 1969 can be manufacturedfrom wood, plywood, flakeboard or particle board having selectedcharacteristics. The side assembly 12 includes a stabilizer 16, a firstpanel 18 and a second panel 20. The side assembly 14 includes thestabilizer 22, a third panel 24 and a fourth panel 26. The stabilizer 16is secured to panel 20 by hinges 28 and the panel 18 is secured tostabilizer 16 by hinges 30. Likewise, the panel 24 is secured tostabilizer 22 by hinges 32 and the panel 26 is secured to the stabilizer22 by the hinges 34. As best seen in FIGURE 6, the stabilizers and thepanels are foldable together in parallel relationship for storage. Theyalso are readily pivoted to the positions shown in FIG- URES 1, 2 and 3to provide a stable support.

The stabilizer and the side panels slope upwardly and inwardly fromtheir lower base lines to upper ends which, except for handle portionsmentioned hereinafter, terminate in a common plane indicated by thenumeral 36. Therefore, when panels 24 and 26 and 18 and 20 arerespectively placed in common vertical planes and stabilizers 16 and 22are placed perpendicular to these common planes, the upper ends form twogenerally T-shaped configurations in the plane 26. A seat member 38,having corresponding T-shaped groove patterns 40 and 42, unifies thepanels and stabilizers by snugly receiving the T-shaped configurationsin plane 36. The seat 38 is also slotted at 44 and 46 to receive a pairof hand grips 48 and 50 which extend upwardly respectively from panels18 and 24. The hand grips are apertured as shown in FIGURE 1 for easygripping by a child utilizing the gym set.

At their lower ends, panels 20 and 26 are formed with rectangularopenings 52 and 54. A bottom brace 56 has grooves 58 and 60 formed inthe bottom surface thereof. A second set of grooves 57 and 59 in thedepth-wise or vertical direction respectively intersect the grooves 58and '60. The grooves 57 and 59 engage the bottom ledge openings 52 and54 and the grooves 58 and 60 the side edges thereof. The bottom brace56, together with seat 38, stabilizes the panels 20 and 26 with respectto one another. The lower ends of panels 18 and 24 are provided withsimilar openings 57 and a bottom brace 62 having grooving similar tothat of brace 56. The lateral grooves 58 and 60 of the bottom braces 56and 62 are longitudinally spaced from one another slightly less than thedistance between the seat slots 44 and 46. This causes the sideassemblies to be closer at their bases than at their upper ends causingadditional pressure to be placed on the stabilizers.

The panel 20 is formed with a series of aligned apertures 64. The panel26 is equipped with corresponding aligned apertures 66. A plurality ofwood ladder rungs 68 having a greater length than the distance betweenpanels is received by the corresponding apertures. Each rung is ofsuflicient length to provide an extension 70. Of course, there is alsoan extension on the other side extending beyond the panel 26. Theseextensions or end portions are drilled with transverse bores 72therethrough. Interposed along the line of openings 66 is a pair ofeyelets 73 and 74. The ladder rungs are readily but securely afiixed tothe side panels by inserting a metallic rod 78 respectively through eachof the bores 72 and the eyelets 73 and 74. A flange 80 at the upper endof the rod prevents the rod from slipping through and from being removedby children. The rod also prevents the rungs from revolving to insure amore stable ladder.

The panels 18 and 24 have opposing apertures 82 through which a pull-upbar 84 is inserted. A pair of removable and resilient grips 86 and 88maintains the bar 84 in position between the panels while allowing thebar to revolve freely for swinging.

In storage, the side assemblies 12 and 14 are folded upon themselves asshown in FIGURE 6. The remaining units of the invention; namely, theelongated seat 38, the bottom braces 56, the rungs 68 and the rod 78,are easily stored With the side units. In assembly, the two side unitsare spaced apart at an estimated distance. Since the units arethree-paneled, they readily stay in position. The bottom braces 56 canthen be inserted and the positions of the side panels and stabilizer ofeach side assembly are rigid with respect to each other. The hanging bar84 and the rungs 68 are quickly slipped into their appropriate positionand the rod 78 slipped through the holes 72 and eyelets 73 and the topseat is placed in position by slightly varying the distances between theside units until their upper ends are firmly received in the groovepatterns 4% and 42. It can be seen that a rigid, durable and attractivegym-like set is ready for the play of children in less than a minute.The disassembly procedure merely consists of a reversal of the abovesteps.

It should also be noted that the gym set is enhanced by the provision ofclimbing holes 90 in panels 18 and 24 and the provision of crawl-throughopenings 92 in panels 20 and 26. These openings not only reduce theweight of the side units but provide a diversification of play to theusing children. Since the primary components of the gym set are of woodor wood-based products, the various openings, grooves and apertures areeasily formed by workman in the average wood-working shop.

In a general manner, while there has been disclosed effective andefiicient embodiments of the invention, it should be well understoodthat the invention is not limited to such embodiments, as there might bechanges made in the arrangement, disposition, and form of the partswithout departing from the principle of the present invention ascomprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A readily assembled and disassembled play unit for childrencomprising first and second elongated stabilizer members for dispositionin a common plane with respective first and second inner edges spaced afirst distance from one another, first and second elongated panels,first means hingedly securing said first and second elongated panels tosaid first stabilizer member along said first inner edge whereby saidfirst and second panels can pivot with respect to each other, third andfourth elongated panels, second means hingedly securing said third andfourth elongated panels to said second stabilizer member along saidsecond inner edge whereby said third and fourth panels can pivot withrespect to each other, and whereby said first and third panels can bepivoted to a position substantially parallel with one another and saidsecond and fourth panels can be pivoted to a position substantiallyparallel with one another, a seat member having a first bottom groovepattern receiving the upper ends of said first stabilizer, said firstpanel and said second panel and a second groove pattern receiving theupper ends of said second stabilizer, said third panel and said fourthpanel, a first removable bottom brace interconnecting the lower ends ofsaid first and third panels, and a second removable bottom braceinterconnecting the bottom of said second and fourth panels.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein first and second hand grips extendupwardly from said first and third panels and said seat member has firstand second openings for respectively receiving said first and secondhand grips.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said first and third panels havefirst and second openings formed along their lower ends and said firstbrace has first and second grooves receiving portions of the peripheriesof said first and second openings.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein the distance between said firststabilizer member from said second stabilizer member is greater at theupper ends thereof than at said lower ends.

5. The invention of claim 3 wherein said second and fourth panels haveopposing openings formed near their lower ends and said second brace hasgrooves receiving portions of the peripheries of said openings.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein said second panel has a first seriesof apertures formed in a line along the longitudinal length thereof andsaid fourth panel has a second series of corresponding apertures, and aseries of ladder rungs having a length greater than said first distanceextending between corresponding apertures.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein extensions of said rungs haveopenings therethrough, an eyelet means is secured to said first panelalong said line, and rod means extend through said eyelet and saidopenings.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein all of said panels and stabilizermembers have gripping holes dispersed throughout for the convenience ofclimbing children, and said second and fourth panels have crawl-throughspaces enabling children to enter between the side assemblies and usethe gym as a house, tent or teepee.

9. A readily assembled and disassembled play unit for childrencompriseing first and second elongated stabilizer members fordisposition in a common plane with respective first and second inneredges spaced a first distance from one another, first and secondelongated panels, first means hingedly securing said first and secondpanels with respect to said first stabilizer member along said firstinner edge whereby said first and second panels can pivot with respectto each other, third and fourth elongated panels, second means hingedlysecuring said third and fourth panels with respect to said secondstabilizer member along said second inner edge whereby said third andfourth panels can pivot with respect to each other and said unit canassume, either a first position wherein said first stabilizer and saidfirst and second panels can be folded to a side-by-side parallelrelationship and said second stabilizer and said third and fourth panelcan be folded to a side-by-side parallel relationship, or to a secondposition wherein said first and third panels are pivoted to a positionsubstantially parallel with one another and said second and fourthpanels are pivoted to a position substantially parallel with oneaonther, removable means engaging said stabilizer members and saidpanels for maintaining them in said second position, a first removablebottom brace interconnecting the lower ends of said first and thirdpanels, and a second removable bottom brace interconnecting the bottomsof said second and fourth panels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 346,437 7/1886 Geissinger 182l72X 1,134,491 4/1915 Savage 182172 FOREIGN PATENTS 619,929 3/1949 GreatBritain. 724,531 12/1965 Canada.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner T. ZACK, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl.X.R.

